The Brownstone Building: A Timeless Northeast Staple

When one thinks of a beautiful home, they predominantly picture a standard two-story ranch with a white picket fence. In the northeast however, several pre-Millennials may be remiss to not bring up the classic yet-never-outdated brownstone building. This softer-than-usual red, brown, and pink sandstone was a go-to staple for a brunt of builders in the 1800s.

The popular building material — which became common with “row house” — was a mainstay in American architecture. The reason that was nineteenth century builders had such an inclination for it was because of its natural softness. It was used to construct churches industrial, commercial, and public buildings.

FixyFix briefly spoke to brownstone expert Andrew Nichols on the construction and timelessness of a good brownstone home. Compared to traditional building materials, brownstone isn’t necessarily created equal — primarily as it pertains to its unique structure.

“The brick and masonry, large parlor floor windows and the uniformity of a block with multiple matching buildings,” said Nichols.

Now around for hundreds of years, one would think most brownstone homes would fastly become outdated — brownstone however, has found its place among welcomed rarity. Nichols went on to explain that it was a timeless material.

“It’s so rare for new buildings to be constructed to match the brownstone look which makes these buildings rare is classic. Rare classics tend to stay desirable and in style.”

When it comes to the proper way of cleaning a brownstone home, Nichols — who works within the walls of a brownstone building —  didn’t have a clear-cut answer. However, he did suggest  what he thought would be the best option.

“Powerwasher? we’ve never cleaned ours so I don’t really have an answer. “

Most of the issues property owners face could be avoided with proper maintenance, which can prevent water infiltration and slow it down from breaking down.